LABOUR'S election campaign in Harrow received a well-timed boost this week with the visit of Home Secretary, Alan Johnson.

Mr Johnson joined Gareth Thomas at Harrow Police Station on Tuesday, and echoed his calls for a new station in the borough.

The visit came one day after a poll by the London Evening Standard suggested that neighbouring seat Harrow East would be won by the Conservatives at the General Election on 6 May.

In Harrow West, Mr Thomas is defending a majority of just over 2,000 votes. Mr Johnson told the Observer: "I am here to support Gareth Thomas.

"He is a tremendous servant to government and I want to see him re-elected for Harrow.

"The big issue in this election is how you preserve front-line services, the economic recovery and how to change our politics.

"We have given assurances that we will maintain the record number of police officers here in London - there are 17,000 more than there were in 1997. The Tories can't match that."

Mr Thomas said negotiations on a new Harrow police station were going well when Ken Livingstone was Mayor of London. He said: "Boris Johnson has put it on hold but if I get re-elected I will continue the campaign to give the police here the best crime-fighting environment." ..SUPL: